Stalks and all: how to turn a whole head of broccoli into a rustic and tasty Italian pasta dish

Tom Hunt’s whole broccoli pasta – cured egg yolks optional. Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian

Today’s very simple and speedy Italian classic uses the whole broccoli – even the woody stalk. Inspired by Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo, the approach creates a delicious sauce that coats the pasta beautifully. Trim just a few millimetres off the discoloured end of the broccoli stalk, then, to ensure it cooks down and becomes tender, slice the rest of the stalk into 1cm-long pieces.

Italian-style whole broccoli pasta